CousinConnect Success Stories

If CousinConnect helped you with your research, whether as a submitter
or a visitor, tell us about
it, and we will add it to this webpage.

CousinConnect was able to provide help to these individuals. Please take a moment to read their stories!

January 18, 2003: Finally a beautiful resultat, express and efficient.
I waited for it since so far a long time.
POSTED in the morning, ANSWER in the evening (at about the 23 hours).
I believe that faster is not possible.
One thank you to SVEN M.HENNING my rescuer.

- ANTOINE MERKEL

January 6, 2003: I just want to let you know that I found the ancestor I was looking for. I was able to find her through my own diligence and Patten Free Library in Bath Maine mailed me some papers helping me to locate Annie Grace Oliver's parents. Her father was the brother to my direct grandfather, so she married her first cousin Jacob Oliver. I have met a cousin through your site, and that has been nice.

- Sharon Oliver Knape

January 4, 2003: Dear CousinConnect:
In Oct. 2002, I posted a query concerning cemeteries in or around Lansford Pennsylvania so I have some information starting point to find where my grandmother was buried.
Since I had not heard anything, I about gave up hope. 2003 started out with a big surprised as a very kind lady replied to my query telling me that Summit Hill Pa. is where the cemetery is probably at, gave me info that one of the Catholic churches had there own cemetery and even described that the steep hill I remembered was more than likely the 1 mile trip from Lansford to Summit Hill.
Then in addition, she even emailed me the 1930 census page for the family!
This will be a huge starting point for me as I have found all the names to the cemeteries in Summit Hill.
Thank you for letting folks publish queries on your site.

- Linda Bundick

January 3, 2003: I have been puzzling over some difficult family connections for years - related to the Darling and Smith (Norwegian Smiths) branches of my family. I posted a query to the cousinconnect site and received hugely valuable information from a respondent within a week. Thanks a bunch!!

- Ron Darling

December 19, 2002:
Thank you to everyone who has helped me for the search for my oldest sons
father. I put the message up not even a week ago, and I had immediate
responses searching for Thomas Chamaschuk born in 1970.I thank his sister
for contacting me and sharing his life with me,this I take to my heart.
Unfortuneately he passed away. So my search is over. Once again thank you
cousinconnect, and thank you from the bottom of my heart to his sister who
took the time to help me.

- Shari Patmore

December 15, 2002: Dear staff at Cousin Connect. I just want to say THANK YOU for your web site. I found out that my great-grandfather's name was changed and I was next to a brick wall and couldn't get any further. Because of your site I have since found out his real name and was able to trace my family name back to 1631! Not only that! My last name was also spelled differently! What a connection was made! Thank you again and if you want further details please contact me. Sincerely,

-
Frank Springer

December 5, 2002: Just wanted to thank the forum for posting my query. As a beginner I
was a little leary on finding much. But within a day I had two
responses and by the third day anther response on The BYERS Family.
Thank you cousinconnect.

- Karen Hinds nee Byers

December 3, 2002: It all started with the search for my grandfather...
My mother had never met her father. After searching for him for several
years, we found out in August 2002 that he had died in 1953.
During my mothers search for her father, we discovered that he had another
daughter. After finding out her father was deceased, I decided to search
for her older sister.
About 4 months ago I placed a query on the Cousin Connect website. I was
looking for any one related to my grandfather. I was hoping that a miracle
would happen and this query would somehow reach my mom's sister.
On November 19, 2002, I received a response from my mothers sister!!
Finally, my mother has a sense of PEACE in her life and she will be meeting
her sister for the first time soon.
I would like to thank the people at www.cousinconnect.com for providing the
tools necessary for me to find my mothers sister.

- Christina Ramirez

December 3, 2002: Since I have lived in Wisconsin for 47 years I had lost track of most of my
descendants. I posted a query and withing 6 hours I received a response with
some information and information for another link and I have a tremendous
about of information on both Lawrence and Bryant Families.

- John Raleigh Bryant Jr.

November 16, 2002: Thank you cousin connect. I was able to contact a second cousin through your site. I love being able to work on the internet as it gives me some much freedom to be able to search for family contacts.

- Carol Lamb

November 10, 2002: It was wonderful to have a response to my query on the Fynes family. I
really didn't expect one. I was so surprised to find so many people looking
for information on relatives.
I just am starting into genealogy so all the help I can get is sure
apprecated. Thanks CousinConnect and thanks to everyone reading the
queries.
What a marvel of technology the internet!

- Eleanor Burnett

October 27, 2002: Thank you for the forum to post my query. I received
the info on my Aunt Kate I was looking for. It filled
in a bit more of the puzzle of my family.

- Violet Castles

October 19, 2002: The story: a query posted with next to no hope of success; a reply from
Australia "My sister may know something about your query"; a reply from the
sister in England " I do indeed know the family in question, am in touch
with them and will pass your address on to them"; a reply from the
sought-after cousin "At the age of nearly 59 years, the words I wanted to
see were printed in front of me...I cried quietly...It took at least 30
minutes before I could discuss this with my husband".

Contact between the long-lost branches of the family tree brought an end to
an almost soap-opera-like saga:
a death in childbirth, a paternal rejection, an adoption to a paternal aunt,
revelation of true parentage at age 21, a ban by the birth father on
communication between the cousin's aunt and uncle and herself. And finally
first contact with five first cousins, a half-first cousin and their
collective families of 13 children.

Cousin Connect, a thousand thank-yous!

- George Martin

October 6, 2002: For years I have been working on my fathers lines pretty much alone. I
knew that he had a cousin,only one because he and his cousin were
the only child in each family. For over 20 years I had half heartedly
been looking for this cousin but the only lead I had,had played out years
ago and so I had about given up. And then a couple of days ago I checked
my E-Mail and there he was responding to my query on the cousin
connection. I cannot express how excited and gratefull to now have
someone to share what I have and to relate to those things that I thought
I was alone with.
We have already exchanged photos and info and look forward to combining
our efforts.
Thank you Cousin Connection

- B & L Shumate

September 29, 2002: I found some information about my maternal grandfather. I only knew he
was born in Tenn. and died in Iowa but other than that didn't know too
much. I do appreciate the information that was sent to me. Now I have
something to dig with.
Sincerely,

- Marie Vermilyea Sliger

September 13, 2002: THANKS TO YOU I FOUND ALL THE INFO I WAS LOOKING FOR ON THE RATLIFF FAMILY, A COUSIN I DIDNT KNOW CONTACTED ME WITH ALL KINDS OF GREAT STUFF INCLUDING PICTURES.THANKS A LOT

- MARSHA BROWN

September 11, 2002: I have searched on all the major internet sites and
could never find any information on the "Hodgell"
surname in my family. I posted on your site and about
three weeks later heard from a woman who not only had
information on that family line but turned out to be
my first cousin once removed! Now we e-mail eaach
other regularly and share any information we might
have collect on our mutual family trees.

- Jennifer Haskell

September 9, 2002: Hello,
on the 5th of August 2002 I placed a message on your site for the search of Edmay, Joyce Opry.
During my search I placed almost 50 messages by different sites, but the last one was yours.
And her son read the message, and so Joyce contacted us.
So thank you very much, because thanks to your site we found our halfsister.

- Lesley Zadelberg

September 7, 2002: I posted my query in June and one month later was surprised by an email from
a distant cousin. She had information that I did not have and I had
information that she did not have. Branching off from brothers born 1850/60.
Thanks Cousinconnect.

- Amy V Black

August 31, 2002: I was looking for my son whom I adopted out years ago. And In my searches I came across your site and there he was with an ad looking for me. Your site made a dream come true.
I am a happy birth mother. thanks.

- Rebecca

August 30, 2002: I did have success. I found my second cousin who lives in North Carolina. My mother's family left the east coast Rhode Island in 1908 and both her parents died by 1929. I had three names from her family that connected me to my cousin. She and I are now searching for the other line in the Valentine family.

- Bev Anderson

August 24, 2002: I found Cousin by accident and was glad I did. I was looking for other Stevinson's and found them. I have had nothing for the Smith's. I passed your email address on to others that I know and they had not come across you either.
Thank you once again. I hope someone out there can help me out with my mothers side of the family.

- Debra Shaffer

August 22, 2002: THANK YOU SO MUCH. I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR MONTHS FOR INFO ON MY 'G-GRANDMOTHER' AND THANKS TO YOU I FOUND WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. ALSO FOUND 2 COUSINS I NEVER KNEW.
THANKS

- BROWNSUBLADY

August 16, 2002: I just wanted to let you know that I posted a message on cousinconnect.com in Ireland and got a reply from a lady who knew who I was looking for. She was so kind to pass the message to the right people and there I have found several cousins of my dads and mine. I am very greatful for this site, as now I am looking for more of my family. And I'm sure I will fined them.
Regards.

- Sharon Ricketts/Moore

July 11, 2002: Last Jan I posted a querie on your sight after finding it by accident. I didn't want to give out to much information so it would be easier to weed out any crack pots. I had forgotten I'd even done that till I got an e mail from a woman that turns out to be my Dad's lost family. My dad had been adopted out in 1937. I didn't even know my dad was adopted till after he had passed away and his belongings where given to me. As it turns out this women that responded to my letter has given the reason he had been adopted out. The Welfare took him and his brother away because the family couldn't aford to keep them. I'm still writing to her and we're e mailing each other. Maybe someday I'll get to meet them. I send them my dads adoption papers to proove I am who I say I am. I can't thank Cousin Connect for this. My dad ment soooooo much to me and this is like finding a part of him that never would have happened without the power of the enternet. Thank you again.

- Kelly Greene

July 11, 2002: I would like to thankyou for this site . I posted a query in June looking for Moore family in Limavady and by chanch a lovley lady answered my prayers. I have found my family and there is a lot of them.I also got to speak to one of my cousins and it was so nice . I have a lot of family there.Once again thanks from the bottom of my heart.
Forever Greatful.

- Sharon Ricketts/ Moore

January 9, 2002: I wanted to thank you for this website! Someone
responded to my query who turned out to be a 4th cousin, and was able
to help me on a very difficult ancestor.

- Donna L. Taylor

December 30, 2001: I was just contacted by what turned out
to be a cousin of mine that I never knew existed. I posted queries on
several other websites, and this is the first time someone actually responded!
I plan to tell my friends about you.